Help choosing monitor!

Guys & Gals,
Am torn apart in choosing between the below mentioned options for monitors. After many years of using the same rig, I finally bought a r9 280 card and, recently upgraded that to a Zotac 1070 mini card (8GB version).

If you play ~60fps then a 60Hz monitor will suffice, if you play ~120fps then a 120Hz will look smoother, or do you play games ~144fps?

If you don't really need the fast refresh then you can choose monitors with IPS-type panels capable of displaying richer colours. Although a quality TN-type panel can still provide fairly rich colour depth - not as "washed out" as many reviewers would have you believe - perhaps unsuitable for professional photo/video work but barely noticeable to most people unless comparing the panels side by side.

I personally see very little difference between 60fps and 165fps, so I think 120Hz or more isn't worth paying a lot more or trading other qualities away to get.
I'm also not greatly impressed by G-Sync and FreeSync, they do look a little better but they cost more and introduce other tradeoffs.
I also think 1ms response isn't worth paying a premium for, either, ~5ms is good enough.
But you'll find other opinions about these details, many people swear that 165Hz G-Sync 1ms looks so good to them that they'll never go back to anything less.

The sorts of games you're playing are "immersive" ... you'll find that a large high-res panel will almost always look good as long as all those pixels "in your face" keep moving smoothly. Jerky/stuttery movements or G-Sync throttles (caused by overworked GPU) break the illusion a bit, and still-frames sometimes look a little "fakey" too ... but you can afford to turn quality settings down a notch or two and still find the moving display fully immersive. Monitors with smaller displays or resolutions don't enjoy this advantage.

You list a 3x1080p 60Hz option. If you're going to go with a multi-display setup then your GPU is going to push a whole lot of pixels, it may not be able to sustain 60fps output, you might need multiple GPUs. And you'll always be somewhat conscious of the bezels between monitor edges, lol, although they're much less noticeable when the games have dark or black backgrounds.

Make sure your monitor has the same signal inputs as your GPU outputs (DP much preferred, HDMI less preferred, DVI is better avoided). Don't pay extra for things like USB ports or built-in speakers if you won't use them.

I can't click on many of your (India-based) links. But your 35000 INR is worth about $700 CDN, which can buy a large variety of 27" to 34" FHD/WQHD/4K IPS gaming monitors. Narrow your choices then check online product reviews/comparisons to pick the "best" one. Or just get whichever one has the best sale price.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams[/Korth]

Korth,
Thanks for the reply mate!! A few details and info for why I chose what I chose:

1. I have a GTX 1070 mini OC'ed to 2.1MHz core and, 4.1MHz mem,
2. I already have a 24" 1080p monitor and, I really wanna upgrade to either a higher refresh rate 1080p monitor or, a 27" 1440p IPS monitor,
3. I usually only use it for Gaming and, I play mostly AAA titles and, a FIFA, CS:GO, AC series, CoD MW, Battlefield 1, Shadow of Modor, etc..,
4. I do understand 3x 1080p is taxing hence, kept it as last choice as of now,

Based on these facts, from what you have mentioned, I have a few doubts..
1. Is the 1070 mini enough to handle 1440p @ 60+ refresh rate?
2. So, will 3x 1080p monitors be too much for the 1070 to handle?
3. I don't believe in G-Sync premium so, that is not what am looking for. However, will a 1440p 144Hz monitor make a difference?
4. Oh and, was wondering if a 28" 4K monitor is also a good buy and, if I can scale down the resolution to 1440p in games for better FPS?

Thanks for the info and, will consider your recommendations and, try to narrow it down further..

So.. After a day in ASUS ROG South Asia finals tourney (which was freaking amazing btw!!), I got to see all kinds of monitors and, set ups. Here are my thoughts and experience with the same. This is just my personal experience and, it may vary from person to person.

1. 1080 144Hz

If you are buying a 1080p monitor, the sweet spot is 24" and, definitely 144hz!! From what I saw, 144Hz is definitely an upgrade from 60Hz. However, I did not find it to be, well, THAT good! Looking at the cost, I feel that a good 1080p IPS panel 144Hz is still worth investing in. This however, also demands a good GPU mind you. Since, it may require to tone down settings from max for some of the more demanding games! This can be an option if you game casually and, you want a good experience along with good eyecandy in games.

2. 1080p 60Hz

Well, this being the standard and, this being the most vastly available option, always go for IPS panels instead of TN. The difference is night and day when it comes to colour accuracy, color gamut, etc.. Also, look for something at the range of 10k INR. VA panels give best of both worlds though, not as vibrant as the IPS panels when it comes to color reproduction though.

3. 1440p 60Hz

1440p is definitely an upgrade from 1080p!! Always go for a 27" or higher monitors. Never go for 24" 1440p monitors. Its just not worth it!! I much prefer the IPS panels along with a 4-5ms response time. This, is for those who have a tighter budget ( like me ) and, is something you can look as an upgrade if you have a decent graphics card. Do your research on how your GPU performs at 1440p and, if you are willing to tone down the settings a bit, you can still get a good looking game with 60+ FPS. Though, I would love to see at least Dynamic Adaptive Sync tech in these for the best experience!

4. 1440p 144Hz

Having experienced this live, playing CS:Go and, mirror edge, I gotta say, its just butter smooth and awesome!! Though, this is the best buy for those looking for good visuals and details with a good gaming experience, it does take a GTX 1080 or, 1080 ti with the settings turned down to high or very high for getting the FPS anywhere near to 144!! For those who can afford the cost of the GPU AND the extra cost of the monitor itself, do go ahead and, you will not be disappointed!!

5. Triple monitor set up

While this is something I have always wanted ( every gamers dream eh! ) after trying it out, playing Tomb raider for sometime ( 27" triple monitor set up in that!), I should day, while its immersive, it also has its cons. For me, this particular con was a huge let down.. "The sides appear stretched!!" ... I mean, it was immersive to be frank, however, it felt that the game was not optimized enough for that resolution may be? I did not like the confusion it bought while making quick turns. It was disorienting at times. At least for me.. Though, it may not be same for others! However, if you are indeed going for such set up, I would suggest go for a 24" set up with 1080p 144/120hz monitors.. It's just really good!

So as a conclusion to my confusion, I finally figured out that, a 1440p 144Hz monitor, while its tempting in all sorts, may not be worth it for me as of now. Thanks to the added cost in India where every damn thing costs double the US cost, its just not worth it. I have also seen many complaints against such monitors having dead pixels or, black light bleed or, black patches ( Especially in ASUS monitors! Why ASUS why?? ).. I may for now, go for a good 1440p 60Hz monitor with an IPS panel. So the hunt begins...

Hope this helps someone in the same situation as me. Please do keep in mind that, as the games get more tuned to 4k, they can get more demanding making it a must to upgrade your GPU in order to get anything decent in terms of FPS on a 144Hz 1440p monitor!! I may, if money and time permits, go for a 1440p monitor in the far future. However, as of now, 1440p 60Hz makes sense to me more than anything!!

I'm not as sold on 144Hz refresh.
1Hz refresh = 1 "cycle per second" refresh = 1 complete "redraw" of the screen each second. No point in having 144Hz if you can't approach 144fps. Although 60Hz basically means your display panel can only draw 60fps even when your GPU can output >60fps. 60Hz/60fps (or at least 85Hz/85fps) looks fine to me, and to most of my gaming buddies, but I admit that some people (with better eyesight?) can consistently see the difference of a faster-refresh display panel. Paying much more for a difference you can barely "see" is unneeded, but if you are able to see the difference on a 144Hz panel (and have a GPU mighty enough to render >60fps, >85fps, >120fps, etc) then it's worth the price.

(Incidentally, 1000ms/144Hz = just under 7ms to "draw" each "frame", so I agree that a 144Hz monitor with 5ms response time is quite sufficient, lol, paying more for faster response is unneeded.)

Once you get used to 27" you won't like staring at a puny 24" monitor, lol.

Triple-monitor is a lot of pixels for the GPU(s) to render so (to maintain good fps) a lot of games emphasize the front/center view and diminish quality on peripheral views.
I've never played Tomb Raider on multi-monitor, so I never experienced the "stretched" sidescreen effect. Elite: Dangerous basically throttles all three screens to lower fps, but not a real issue because the vastness of space is pretty easy to render on a black screen, lol. Bioshock 3 and Crysis 3 "blurs" peripheral stuff (less in the near periphery, more out at the borders), objects which aren't in "center focus" are roughly rendered (and stuff at the outer edges looks fine in motion or in screenshots, but looks awful in displayed still-frames).

Most gamers seem unaware that DisplayPort limits (in the bidirectional ports, the signal protocols, and in the cable itself) will only allow up to 85Hz/85fps on dual-display and up to 60Hz/60fps on triple-display (assuming all identical resolutions).

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams[/Korth]

I'm not as sold on 144Hz refresh.
1Hz refresh = 1 "cycle per second" refresh = 1 complete "redraw" of the screen each second. No point in having 144Hz if you can't approach 144fps. Although 60Hz basically means your display panel can only draw 60fps even when your GPU can output >60fps. 60Hz/60fps (or at least 85Hz/85fps) looks fine to me, and to most of my gaming buddies, but I admit that some people (with better eyesight?) can consistently see the difference of a faster-refresh display panel. Paying much more for a difference you can barely "see" is unneeded, but if you are able to see the difference on a 144Hz panel (and have a GPU mighty enough to render >60fps, >85fps, >120fps, etc) then it's worth the price.

So, am not sold either on the 144Hz monitor. However, since they are going for 1080p, I believe most modern GPUs can drive most of the games upto 144Hz if not, 120Hz (which again is an option in the monitor as well as, 100Hz). There is a difference in terms of smoothness of the game and, in games like FIFA, CS:GO, there is a difference in pace of the game too! For me, CS:GO felt to be "quicker/ faster" on the 144Hz monitor than on the 60Hz one. So, if these are the type of games one plays then, it is definitely worth it. I see many cheap options available for 144Hz monitors too. Hence the recommendation!

Originally Posted by Korth

(Incidentally, 1000ms/144Hz = just under 7ms to "draw" each "frame", so I agree that a 144Hz monitor with 5ms response time is quite sufficient, lol, paying more for faster response is unneeded.)

True that!!

Originally Posted by Korth

Once you get used to 27" you won't like staring at a puny 24" monitor, lol.

Oh so true! I saw a lot of difference in clarity as well as quantity between the two and, hence am sold for 27" !!

Originally Posted by Korth

Triple-monitor is a lot of pixels for the GPU(s) to render so (to maintain good fps) a lot of games emphasize the front/center view and diminish quality on peripheral views.
I've never played Tomb Raider on multi-monitor, so I never experienced the "stretched" sidescreen effect. Elite: Dangerous basically throttles all three screens to lower fps, but not a real issue because the vastness of space is pretty easy to render on a black screen, lol. Bioshock 3 and Crysis 3 "blurs" peripheral stuff (less in the near periphery, more out at the borders), objects which aren't in "center focus" are roughly rendered (and stuff at the outer edges looks fine in motion or in screenshots, but looks awful in displayed still-frames).

Well, the roughness of the objects in my peripheral vision was distracting me big time. I did not like the was the "blurs" are handled. Hence the let down. May be it was the vastness of the arena in which it was placed that made it seem so, or may be some thing else however, I some how did not like the experience of the games stretch/ blurs.

Originally Posted by Korth

Most gamers seem unaware that DisplayPort limits (in the bidirectional ports, the signal protocols, and in the cable itself) will only allow up to 85Hz/85fps on dual-display and up to 60Hz/60fps on triple-display (assuming all identical resolutions).

A very good info to know indeed!! This explains why the 60FPS on tomb raider during my gameplay..

Thanks a lot Koth for the info and message. As mentioned am now also looking into cheap 27-28" 4k IPS monitors with good downscaling options so that I can use it as a 1440p monitor for a while and, add in another 1070 later on to utilize the full 4k!! Ahh we always get greedy eh!! Of course, I am aware of the caveats that come along with it..

Alrighty then!! Finally got my ASUS 27AQ monitor and, here are my thoughts are review of the same!! I have used it for an hour however, I can already see the difference from my previous 1080p monitor!!! Since the differences are still fresh to my eyes, I feel this is the best time to review the same..

Before I do give actual review, am really amazed at how little review this has gotten!! I mean it's like trying to fine a dragon in real life!!

Pros:

COLORSSSS:

Oh yeah, am loving the colors configuration of this monitor.. Its vivid and, crisp and, seems to be accurate (though, need to find more ways to make it better or accurate? Any help here is appreciated!)

Blacks and Whites

It can't go much deeper! Just loving the blacks and, whites and, the deep black which is making the colors pop out even more!

Looks

Oh so b-e-a-utifull!! Sleek and sexy to say the least! A full almost borderless display!! looks huge thanks to that!

NO Dead pixels

Yep, it has come with no BLB and dead pixels and, am loving it!

75Hz

15Hz more and, the more the merrier!!

Eye candy in games
I can see an immediate difference in games. They look much better now and, are more vivid! Though one main issue is mentioned in the Cons below.

Cons:

Response time!
Yep, am surprised as to how much of ghosting am able to notice in this monitor when compared to the 1ms 1080p one. The same videos, while vivid in color, look too ghosty (if thats a word!). It may take a while for my eyes to adjust to the 5ms response time I guess. However, as of now, it is a bit annoying and distracting.

DP not working

Not sure if this is a cable issue or, the DP port issue, however, the DP is not working and, currently using the HDMI port for viewing. Am able to set the 75z refresh rate though, so should be fine I guess?

No height adjust and Swivel!

Wobbly stand

OSD controls will take time to get used to

BLB

A Slight BLB is now visible!!

That's it folks! Final verdict is, am just loving it !! The 1440p 75Hz makes so much sense for the GTX 1070, I would suggest people to go for it..

"Wobbly stand" is a real deal-breaker for me, lol. I like solid durable stuff which stays put where you put it. I've passed by wobbly monitors before - it wouldn't be too hard to mod/build properly non-wobbly fixtures, but it's also not too hard to choose a different monitor product, lol.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams[/Korth]

True! The wobbly stand is due to the way the "feets" are designed. There are small rubber projections at small distances apart. It is something I have solved by pasting a cardboard to the base. It is not wobbly anymore!!